Federal charges filed against Zuni Pueblo man in child sex abuse case

Federal prosecutors have charged Anthony Kaamasee, 40, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, in a case that alleges sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 between March 2013 and March 2015. For families in Zuni and across McKinley County, the filing matters immediately because it brings the allegation into federal court, but it does not decide guilt. Kaamasee is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Mexico said Kaamasee is charged with aggravated sexual abuse. He remained in custody pending a trial date that has not yet been set, and a conviction would carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the case, which was filed Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

Investigators from the FBI’s Gallup Resident Agency worked the case with help from the Zuni Pueblo Police Department, a reminder that child abuse cases in western New Mexico often move through a tight network of tribal, local and federal authorities. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, the Justice Department initiative launched in May 2006 to coordinate federal, state and local resources to track offenders and identify victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Residents who need help or who have information can contact the FBI’s Albuquerque office 24 hours a day at 505-889-1300 or use the bureau’s online tip form. Victims and witnesses in federal cases can also reach the U.S. Attorney’s Victim-Witness Assistance Unit in Albuquerque at 1-888-388-6541, where staff help with crisis intervention, court accompaniment, referrals, case status and other services. In a case built on an allegation, those supports are available now while the court process continues.